Common habits that cause premature aging

It’s no secret that some people are blessed with phenomenal genes. You will find some people looking fantastic at an older age and aging like fine wine, while others age terribly. Why is that the case? Well, it all boils down to a few habits and lifestyle choices. We have compiled a list of habits that are make you look old.

1. Skipping on sunscreen.

Tell you what, we all need sunscreen. Yes, even if you’re black. Simply relying on your melanin to protect you against the sun doesn’t cut it. You need to apply sunscreen every day because sun damage does not just lead to skin cancer but also leads to wrinkles and spots. 90% of skin aging is actually from the sun so obviously, wearing sunscreen on a daily basis (even on cloudy or cold days because damaging UV rays can penetrate through the clouds) is one sure way to delay those wrinkles and keep you looking younger.

Woman applying sunscreen (Courtesy) ece-auto-gen

2. Smoking.

This is no brainer. Smoking has a very negative impact on your overall health and leads to premature aging and this is because there are over 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke and some of these chemicals damage the collagen and elastin which are the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. So, yeah, drop those smokes ladies and gents if you want your black not to crack.

3. Poor skincare.

It might be tempting to go to bed with makeup on after a heavy night of debauchery or after a long day of work and you’re too tired to wash your face, but that’s a grave mistake. Makeup, as well as excess oil, grime and pollution can clog your pores and result in acne. Normally, your skin rejuvenates itself at night and it cannot do this very well if it’s not cleaned. You need to take your skincare routine seriously.

4. Poor diet.

I bet you’re not surprised that this is on the list. As you already know, you are what you eat. Junk food and alcohol denies your body the key nutrients it needs to function at full capacity. A poor diet, especially one very high in sugar can affect your skin, cause it to lose its elasticity and even lead to breakouts. In addition, alcohol dehydrates the body and it prevents the production of vasopressin which is an anti-diuretic hormone that the body uses to absorb water. What this does is that it causes the kidneys to work twice as hard to remove excess water from your system and leaves all your organs, including your skin dehydrated.

5. Lack of sleep.

Lack of sleep is not just bad for your health and general well-being but it will also make you look a lot older than you are.

Insomnia(EUR This N That) Pulse Live Kenya

6. Stress.

It’s not always easy to avoid or prevent stress but it’s important to not sweat the small stuff. Don’t allow stress to take over, because it causes a chemical imbalance in your body and accelerates the aging process.